Summary

Comments on discovery of micro-organisms in disease.

Describes experiments carried out by Francis Darwin on filaments of Dipsacus.

Summary

Thanks for AG’s review of Forms of flowers [Am. J. Sci. 3d ser. 15 (1878): 67–73].

Thomas Carlyle’s letter about CD was a forgery.

Gives Hermann Müller’s observations on Valeriana dioica.

Is unsure about function of "bloom"; are glaucous plants more or less common in arid parts of U. S.?

Observations on heliotropism.

Thomas Meehan reports that Linum perenne is self-fertile; CD thinks that he has mistaken the species.

Summary

Thanks JP for congratulations on LL.D. [awarded by Cambridge University].

Comments on Rudolf Virchow’s book [Die Freiheit der Wissenschaft im modernen Staat (1877)].

Summary

Thanks AE for his book [Estudios sobre la flora y fauna de Venezuela (1877)].

Asks whether glaucous plants in Venezuela are more common in drier areas.

Summary

Glad to hear of Ernst Haeckel’s reception in Vienna.

R. Virchow’s address ["Liberty of science", Nature 17 (1877–8): 72–4, 92–4, 111–13] very arrogant.

Sorry to hear of death of Arthur Lane.

Summary

Thanks for essays by ASW ["Experiments with turnip seeds", Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinburgh 13 (1876–9): 25–39, and a short notice, "Experiments in singling turnips"] and Aegilops seed.

Summary

Wants Trifolium resupinatum for "bloom" experiment.

Summary

CD and son [Francis] working on spontaneous movements of plants and heliotropism.

Has given [Raphael Meldola] permission to read extracts of FM’s last letter [not found], on odours emitted by moths, before Entomological Society [Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. (1878): ii–iii].

Summary

A report has arrived for FD which CD will forward.

Summary

Thanks HM for his review [of Forms of flowers, Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 286].

Thinks HM’s previous article was very important [Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 128–40]. CD will "heartily rejoice" if HM has explained the steps by which Rhamnus and Valeriana have been rendered dioecious.

Summary

Letter recommending R. I. Lynch [for position as Curator, Botanic Garden, Cambridge].

Summary

Thanks for letter. Comments on SBJS’s research on Palaeolithic flint tools.

Summary

Has sent GdeS’s drawing to Hooker. He, Oliver, and Thiselton-Dyer have been perplexed by it.

L. Lesquereux’s discoveries in the Cincinnati Lower Silurian beds.

Summary

Considers Brown-Séquard’s discovery of inheritance of injury to nerves most important hereditary observation ever. Extremely interested in correspondent’s confirmation. Impressed that in reported cases of inherited injury suppuration tends to follow the injury.

Summary

CD’s gardener says not to sow onion seeds until middle of March. Should he risk sowing them at once?

Summary

Discusses animal intelligence.

Advises GJR on acquiring monkey.

Sends book by Delboeuf [La psychologie (1876)].

Summary

Regrets that GJR was passed over for membership in Royal Society. Discusses criteria applied by Council.

Summary

Congratulates JWJ on marriage.

Thanks for essay by Neumayr [see 11569].

Comments on paper by Edmund Mojsisovics ["Kleine Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Anneliden", Sitzungsber. K. Akad. Wiss. Wien Math.-naturwiss. Cl. 76 (1877) Abt. 1: 7–20].

CD’s health better than a few years ago.

Summary

CD at first thought GHD should not answer Haughton [see 10689], but Hooker thinks if no correction is made Haughton’s error will be quoted for 20 years. CD is now inclined to agree.

Summary

Writing on vegetable physiology.

Nothing in CD’s life has ever interested him more than the fertilisation of such plants as Primula and Lythrum.